Another shooting rocked Lewiston early Sunday morning, adding to growing concerns from residents who say gun violence in the city is becoming a regular occurrence.
According to the Lewiston Police Department, officers patrolling the downtown area around 2:40 a.m. on June 14 heard multiple gunshots coming from the area of Webster Street.
Police responded and found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound outside 89 Webster Street. Authorities identified the victim as 23-year-old Leyla Isaak.
Officers rendered emergency medical aid until paramedics arrived. Isaak was transported to Central Maine Medical Center with injuries police said are believed to be non-life-threatening.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Lewiston Police are asking anyone with information to contact Det. Kaden Tozier or submit anonymous tips through the department’s tip line.
The latest shooting comes after weeks of escalating violence and repeated concerns from residents, many of whom spoke publicly earlier this month during a community forum on gun violence held in Lewiston.
At that meeting, residents described hearing gunfire on a near nightly basis, expressed fears about juvenile violence, and questioned whether city leadership was doing enough to address deteriorating public safety conditions.
Police Chief Carly Conley previously acknowledged the growing crisis, noting that Lewiston had already experienced numerous shootings this year, many involving juveniles. Federal agencies including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Homeland Security have increasingly partnered with local law enforcement in response to the violence.
The Webster Street shooting is only the latest in a string of incidents that have shaken the city in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, a 17-year-old probationer allegedly fled police during a curfew stop and discarded a loaded .45 caliber handgun on Webster Street before being apprehended. In late May, multiple juveniles were charged following a retaliatory shooting on Pierce Street where bullets entered an occupied apartment. Additional shootings have been reported near Bartlett Street, Avon Street, and Ash Street in recent weeks.
Residents have increasingly criticized what they describe as silence from much of Lewiston’s political leadership as shootings continue to pile up.
While some councilors and community leaders attended the recent public safety forum, Mayor Carl Sheline and the majority of the Lewiston City Council have largely avoided public comment regarding the recent surge in gun violence and mounting concerns from residents and business owners.
For many residents, Sunday morning’s shooting was not viewed as an isolated incident, but rather another sign of a city struggling with rising violence, repeat offenders, and growing public frustration over the direction of Maine’s second-largest city.
